Weakness of Strong Signals
Massive signals everywhere that are noise on their own. AI and our new automated culture of writing and production is making it hard to know what is signal, what is noise.
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January 2026
When Complexity Exceeds Wisdom
In a recent podcast, historian Margaret McMillan discusses the complexities of today’s world, observing that historical patterns do not neatly apply to current events. Despite her extensive knowledge, she finds it challenging to provide clear insights. This underscores the overwhelming nature of contemporary issues, further complicated by misinformation and faux wisdom, highlighting the need for wayfinding rather than certainty.
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Algorithmic Anti-Design
What happens when we no longer see what’s out there, but what some algorithm feeds us, and what are the alternatives to learning new things from the internet? The answer: email. In the mid-2010’s, I undertook a research project for Heritage Canada (now Canadian Heritage), the federal agency responsible for copyright regulations, looking at the
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